


Haircut

by DarylWillFightNatureForCarol (Befrie08)



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Can also be read as platonic too I guess, Cute, F/M, Fluff, Prelude to the spin off, Set post Season 11 or at the end of it, can be read as established relationship if you want, tooth rotting sweetness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:48:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27697181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Befrie08/pseuds/DarylWillFightNatureForCarol
Summary: Daryl is ready to head out on the road. All he needs is for Carol to be ready. However, when he goes up to her room to see if she is, he's surprised by what he finds.Oneshot of what I hope could happen before the spin off.This is basically pure fluff.
Relationships: Daryl Dixon/Carol Peletier
Kudos: 24





	Haircut

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you like this little one shot. I'm still working on Back To The Past. Chapter 10 is almost done, I think.

Daryl walked up the stairs to Carol’s room and knocked on the door a few times. He had just finished loading the supplies into the bike. They were only taking the bare necessities. There wasn’t much room on the bike anyway and they were more than capable of hunting and foraging for whatever they needed. 

“You ready?” he called. He wasn’t in any hurry but he couldn’t deny he was a little excited about finally leaving. 

It had been a joke at first. To run away to New Mexico. That day in the forest when he had suggested it, he hadn’t been entirely serious. But then the idea became more and more tempting. In the moments after the Whisperer war, Daryl had hoped Carol would agree to it. He had accepted her rejection though. She had not been ready and they still had things to do. 

Now, it had been six months since the war and a few weeks ago, Carol had told him she was finally ready. So, they’d started preparing to head out on the road. They had already said goodbye to everyone and while their people were sad to see them go, they’d been pretty understanding about their decision. 

Surprisingly, even Negan had been a little emotional about the news of their departure. He had even cornered Daryl one day and assured him that he would keep an eye on Lydia, Judith and the other kids. As much as Daryl would never be able to forgive the man his actions from the past, he had accepted the declaration with a nod and a ‘Thank you’. 

So, today was the day. They were finally leaving. All he needed now was for Carol to be ready and then they could get the hell out of here. 

“I won’t be long,” he heard her call from somewhere in the room. “Come in.” 

Daryl opened the door and stepped inside. He didn’t see Carol so his eyes immediately went to the bathroom. The door was open and Carol stood in front of the mirror with a pair of scissors in her hands. He blinked as he noticed her long grey curls were gone. Her hair was short now. It almost looked the way it had years ago, when they had first arrived at Alexandria. He watched her snip at it some more, eyes focused on her task. She set the scissors down and ran her hands through her hair a few times. She tilted her head as she examined her reflection before giving a subtle nod. 

Daryl just watched her, still a little shocked. To be honest, inside he was panicking a bit. She had grown her hair out because she felt safe, that was what Henry had told him. If she was cutting it now, what did that mean? 

The questions spiralled in his mind as Carol finally turned around to look at him. She looked him up and down and her brow furrowed. She cocked her head to the side and left the bathroom, moving towards him. 

“Are you okay?” she asked in concern. 

Daryl jumped at her voice, so lost in his thoughts he was. He swallowed heavily and nodded while chewing his lip. 

“I’m good,” he replied in a croaky voice.  
He couldn’t help his eyes flitting back to look at her newly short style. It honestly made him feel a little nostalgic. Carol brought a hand up and touched her hair absently. She gave him a nervous look. 

“What’s wrong? You don’t like it?” she asked as if she thought he cared how she decided to have her hair. 

"It ain't that,” he hastened to say. “I like it just fine. Just worried about why you cut it," he admitted cautiously. 

Carol frowned as if his words didn’t make sense. 

"Well, I’ve been meaning to do it for a while,” she said. “It's really not practical. Too easy for walkers to grab it. If we're heading out on our own, we need to make smart choices."

Daryl blinked after she had spoken. That… Made sense. Maybe he had just blown things out of proportion. Maybe she really had just cut it for the practicality. 

"Why did you think I cut it?" she asked with confusion in her eyes. 

Daryl chewed his lip and looked down. Great, now he had to make things weird by bringing up dark shit from her past. He didn’t like walking on eggshells around her but he, admittedly, had avoided certain subjects in the fear it would send her spiralling back into her depression. 

"Henry," Daryl started but paused, already panicking as the name was spoken aloud. 

He eyed her carefully, looking for signs that he had fucked up. He didn’t want to hurt her by mentioning her boy. She had managed to open up a little about him in the past few months but he knew it still hurt her. She sucked in a breath but after a moment, she nodded for him to go on. He sighed in relief. 

"He told me the reason you kept your hair short. He overheard you and the king talking one night. Heard you tell him that you cut it so Ed couldn’t grab you and then, ‘cause you finally felt safe, you let it grow.” 

Carol looked surprised by his words. He saw that she was thinking hard so he kept going. 

"I thought you cut it ‘cause maybe you ain't feeling safe no more," he confessed quietly. 

He had been working with her in these last few months, helping her heal from everything that had happened over the years. She’d told him all about how she had felt after losing Sophia. She’d told him how she felt about her decision to kill Karen and David at the prison. She’d told him the horrific tale of what happened to the two little girls she had taken charge of. She’d told him about the spiralling guilt she had sunk into after realizing how many people she’d killed. Through it all, he’d listened and offered comments when he felt he needed to. He’d held her when it got too much and whispered assurances against her hair that none of it made him think any less of her. And with every moment they spent finally talking about things, Carol started to seem lighter and more herself. So, to see her cutting all her hair off had caused him to think the worst. 

Carol shook her head, giving him a sad smile. She moved closer to stand a few feet away from him. She didn’t look upset by his confession, so that was a good sign. 

"I think, in this world, there’s different kinds of safe,” she started with a thoughtful look. “We’re never really safe, not from the dead or people.”

Daryl listened to her speak, not entirely sure where she was going with this but happy to listen anyway. As much as he didn’t like to acknowledge the truth of her words, he knew she was right. It was impossible to be completely safe in this world. 

“But that other kind of safe? The one you and me only found after the world ended?” she continued, giving him a meaningful look. “I still feel that. I haven’t lost that." 

Daryl breathed out heavily in relief. He knew what she was talking about when she said ‘The one you and me only found after the world ended’. In some ways, the end of the world had been a blessing for the both of them. Her husband had died, finally allowing her freedom. Similarly, Daryl’s father had been killed, offering him that same freedom. As awful as this world had been to them at times, they had both come from somewhere far worse. 

"Good,” Daryl finally said. “That's... That's real good to hear." 

He felt awkward and ridiculous now for the almost panic attack he’d had over her doing something as simple as cutting her hair. He just couldn’t help worrying for her. She had been the only constant in his life for going on ten years and he needed her to feel that safety she spoke of. Carol looked him over intently and he shifted under her attention. 

“What?” he asked.

He caught the beginnings of a smirk on her face. 

"You know, you could do with a cut yourself,” she said in a teasing voice. 

Daryl shifted again. He hadn’t cut his hair or had his hair cut in years. Before the world ended, he used to keep it short so it didn’t hinder him while hunting. After the world ended, he’d just learned to deal with it. No way was he going to ask someone to do it for him even though he knew that they would have. Then, after the prison fell, he started to like the long greasy hair. It shielded his face and he was able to hide behind it. Carol raised her brows, still waiting for a reply he had neglected to give. 

"It's only practical," she said in a sing song voice, breaking some of the tension. 

Daryl snorted and looked down for a moment before looking back at her again. ‘Why not?’ he thought. Like she said, it was only practical. They were heading out into who knows what on the road and they needed to be as practical as they could be. It was no use holding onto this stupid security blanket. He needed to grow a pair and get over it. 

"Alright,” he conceded. He bit his lip. “Can you do it?" he asked shyly. 

Carol smiled softly. She held out a hand to him and he didn’t hesitate to take it. She led him to the bed and made him sit down on the edge. She let go of his hand to go to the bathroom. She returned with the scissors and came to stand in front of him, her knees brushing his. He looked up at her from his place and waited. He glanced at the scissors warily. Carol gave him an amused look and he found he was grateful for her constant teasing in this moment. It helped him to focus on something other than his anxiety. 

"You sure you're ready to part with it?" she asked with a smirk. 

Daryl scoffed and gave her a mock glare. Carol snickered but brought the scissors up. She started cutting off large sections of hair. He watched as the dark strands fell on the floor around them. He was a little alarmed by how much hair she was taking off. The little piles of brown were growing at both of their feet. Already his head was feeling lighter as the weight from all the hair disappeared. 

Carol stepped back after a long while of cutting and scrutinized him. She brought her hand out and started gently pulling at strands of his hair, measuring it, he realized. Soon, she smiled, looking satisfied with her work. She stroked a hand through his hair affectionately. He shivered at the all too pleasant sensation. 

"You mean to tell me, you were hiding that adorable face under there all this time?" she teased with bright eyes. 

Daryl blushed and ducked his head. 

"Stop," he mumbled in embarrassment, lifting his head again. 

Carol chuckled at his familiar response as she took a step back. She looked down at the hair on the floor and frowned. 

“It’s like I’ve sheared a sheep!” she exclaimed with a chuckle. She shook her head, still looking amused. “Go look in the mirror and I’ll clean this up.” 

Daryl obediently stood and moved to the bathroom. He hesitated looking in the mirror. It wasn't that he cared what he looked like really. He had just spent a long time hiding behind that mane of oily mess. He shook his head at himself before looking at his reflection. He squinted at himself.

For a moment, he didn't even recognize the person there. But then he realized that was indeed him. His hair was short but Carol hadn’t taken off nearly as much of the length as he’d thought. It wasn’t cropped close to his head at least. There was still a tiny bit of length to it, longer than he used to keep it before the world ended. He ran a hand through it, dislodging some loose bits that fell in the sink. He decided Carol had done a good job. He liked it. 

As if on cue, Carol moved into the doorway of the bathroom. She held in her hand a small trash bag that he assumed contained the remnants of his hair. 

"What do you think?" she asked and he could see the nerves in her eyes. She seemed worried that he might not like it. 

"It's good,” he told her, giving her a small smile to reinforce it. “Thanks."

Carol smiled, looking relieved. 

“You’re welcome,” she replied as she moved to the trashcan in the bathroom and tossed the little bag in. 

Daryl turned on the faucet and washed the bits of hair down the sink. He turned the water off again and turned to face Carol once more. 

“So,” Carol said as she looked at him. 

“So,” he repeated, crossing his arms, waiting for whatever she was going to say. 

Carol’s mouth twitched and her eyes shone with mirth again. Daryl prepared himself for whatever teasing she was about to inflict on him this time. 

“You ready to run away?” 

The anticipation in his guts uncoiled and he smiled wider than he had in a long time. Instead of answering her, he gave an enthusiastic nod. 

He was rewarded with a wide grin in reply.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed this. 
> 
> As much as I love Daryl's long hair (I think it's super attractive on him even though I there's some that don't like it), I really want them both to get haircuts for the spin off.


End file.
